Curtain wall (Enclosure system)
Introduction
A curtain wall (in English curtain wall) is a self-supporting façade system, generally light and glazed, independent of the resistant structure of the building, which is built continuously in front of it. A curtain wall is designed to resist the force of the wind, as well as its own weight, and transmit it to the floors. Generally, curtain walls are built by repeating a modulated prefabricated element that includes the necessary protection, opening and accessibility elements according to needs.
Materials
Curtain walls are typically designed with extruded aluminum profiles, although the first curtain walls were made of steel. Most of the surface of the wall is usually closed with glass, which gives the building a pleasant appearance, while facilitating natural lighting. However, parameters related to the control of solar gain, such as thermal and visual comfort, are more difficult to control when glazed curtain walls are used. Other materials used are stone, metal panels and sheets.
Types of curtain walls
From the point of view of their external appearance, curtain walls can be classified into two types:
Viewed profiles: from the outside of the building you can see the metal frames that support the wall, such as aluminum, through the so-called “lid” or “tapeta”.
Structural silicone: from the outside of the façade only the different glass panes can be seen, leaving the supporting structure of the wall hidden from view, visible only from the inside.
From the point of view of its construction system, these can be resolved through two main modalities:
Stick System: the vertical and horizontal profiles, along with the glass panels, are assembled on site piece by piece, progressively forming the enclosure on the main structure of the building. It is the traditional system to which the previous classification refers.
Unitized System (unitized or frame): The curtain wall is made up of prefabricated modules in the workshop, completely assembled and glazed, which are transported to the site for final assembly, optimizing execution times, quality control and precision in placement.